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  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [BTH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  no 
  words 
  to 
  this 
  song, 
  only 
  vocables. 
  The 
  song 
  was 
  

   repeated 
  an 
  indefinite 
  number 
  of 
  times. 
  At 
  the 
  conclusion 
  of 
  this 
  

   song 
  everyone 
  threw 
  his 
  branch 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  tree, 
  as 
  though 
  

   it 
  were 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  parent 
  stem 
  from 
  which 
  it 
  had 
  been 
  broken. 
  

   The 
  small 
  boy, 
  however, 
  sometimes 
  amused 
  himself 
  by 
  aiming 
  his 
  

   wand 
  at 
  the 
  singers 
  rather 
  than 
  at 
  the 
  tree. 
  These 
  pranks 
  were 
  all 
  

   taken 
  in 
  good 
  part. 
  The 
  branches 
  carried 
  by 
  the 
  people 
  were 
  tied 
  

   to 
  the 
  pole 
  and 
  left 
  for 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  wind 
  to 
  dispose 
  of. 
  

  

  The 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  tree 
  was 
  cut 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  approach 
  to 
  

   the 
  pole 
  by 
  the 
  people 
  in 
  their 
  tribal 
  order, 
  with 
  war 
  cry 
  and 
  charge, 
  

   were 
  in 
  recognition 
  of 
  the 
  victories 
  gained 
  by 
  the 
  favor 
  of 
  the 
  war 
  

   god, 
  Thunder. 
  The 
  ceremony 
  was 
  a 
  dramatic 
  teaching 
  of 
  the 
  vital 
  

   force 
  in 
  union 
  not 
  only 
  for 
  defense 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  internal 
  

   peace 
  and 
  order. 
  The 
  He'dewachi 
  was 
  a 
  festival 
  of 
  joy 
  consonant 
  

   with 
  the 
  words 
  of 
  the 
  opening 
  song, 
  "Come 
  and 
  rejoice." 
  The 
  

   whole 
  scene 
  vibrated 
  with 
  color 
  and 
  cheer 
  around 
  the 
  Thunder- 
  

   selected 
  tree 
  as 
  a 
  symbol 
  of 
  life 
  and 
  tribal 
  unity. 
  

  

  a 
  Years 
  ago 
  the 
  ' 
  Isage 
  had 
  a 
  somewhat 
  similar 
  ceremony 
  long 
  since 
  abandoned. 
  

  

  